Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Definition of sensitive adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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sensitive

adjective
sensitive pronunciation English ˈsensətɪv sensitive pronunciation American ˈsensətɪv
 
 

to people's feelings

1 aware of and able to understand other people and their feelingsa sensitive and caring mansensitive to something She is very sensitive to other people's feelings.
Opposite
insensitive
 

to art/music/literature

2 able to understand art, music and literature and to express yourself through theman actor's sensitive reading of the poema sensitive portrait
 

easily upset

3 easily offended or upsetYou're far too sensitive.sensitive about something He's very sensitive about his weight.sensitive to something She's very sensitive to criticism.
Opposite
insensitive
 

information/subject

4 that you have to treat with great care because it may offend people or make them angry or embarrassedHealth care is a politically sensitive issue.That's a sensitive area.
 

to cold/light/food, etc.

5 reacting quickly or more than usual to somethingsensitive areas of the bodysensitive to something My teeth are very sensitive to cold food.The eyes of some fish are acutely sensitive to light.
Opposite
insensitive
 

to small changes

6 sensitive (to something) able to measure very small changesa sensitive instrumentThe eyes can be a sensitive indicator of health. (figurative) The Stock Exchange is very sensitive to political change.
Opposite
insensitive
sensitively
sensitively pronunciation English ˈsensətɪvli sensitively pronunciation American ˈsensətɪvli
adverbShe handled the matter sensitively.He writes sensitively.
Idioms
see hit/touch a (raw/sensitive) nerve at nerve noun